Pietrus missed the final 12 games of the season because of a quadriceps-tendon strain near the same knee, an issue that seemed to start when he landed after an attempted blocked shot on March 23. Pietrus' agent, Bill McCandless, said Pietrus was mentioning discomfort with the knee before he was traded from Orlando in December. At his recent camp in Guadeloupe, friends were telling McCandless that Pietrus was not moving well.

"I'm looking at it extremely positively," McCandless said. "I know the player well and I sensed something wasn't right. He's not a complainer."

Pietrus took a physical upon arrival for France's camp, but the national team recommended he undergo surgery to remove loose cartilage. He is expected to be out of basketball action for four weeks.

"It just seems he has no choice right now," McCandless said about the surgery. "Mickael said the physician couldn't certify him to play with the national team."

Pietrus has opted not to rejoin the national team, which he last played for in 2006 and is trying to qualify for the 2012 Olympics. He likely would have backed up Nicolas Batum of the Portland Trail Blazers.

McCandless said Pietrus also had a contract offer to play for a Turkish pro team this fall, but had not made a decision. Last month, he exercised a player option that kept him under contract with Phoenix for next season at $5.3 million.

The Suns are prohibited from commenting on Pietrus during the labor lockout between owners and players, but McCandless informed Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby of the surgery plans.